The Pillars of ZKID Identity

The ZK Identity Layer rests on three major building blocks:

1. DIDs (Decentralized Identifiers)

2. VCs (Verifiable Credentials)

3. ZK Verifications + Storage + Validators

Let’s break them down with clarity and detail.

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1. Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs)

A DID looks like:

did:zkid:01xp23kfjabc...

The DID Document includes:

• verification keys

• authentication methods

• metadata

• service endpoints

DID Document Example

{
  "@context": "https://zkid.digital/identity/v1",
  "id": "did:zkid:01xp23kfjabc",
  "authentication": [{
      "id": "did:zkid:01xp23kfjabc#key1",
      "type": "EcdsaSecp256k1VerificationKey2022",
      "controller": "did:zkid:01xp23kfjabc",
      "publicKeyHex": "a23b9f...91c4"
  }],
  "service": [{
      "id": "HubService",
      "type": "ZKIDMetadata",
      "serviceEndpoint": "https://resolver.zkid.digital/..."
  }]
}

DID Lifecycle

1. Creation The DID is generated locally.

2. Anchoring A hash of the DID Document is anchored to Bitcoin.

3. Resolution Apps fetch and verify DID contents via decentralized endpoints.

4. Updates Keys can be rotated, revoked, or replaced.

This provides a secure and owner-controlled identity primitive.

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2. Verifiable Credentials (VCs)

A VC is a signed data object connecting a claim to a DID.

Example credential:

{
  "@context": [
    "https://zkid.digital/credentials/v1"
  ],
  "id": "vc-452",
  "type": ["VerifiableCredential"],
  "issuer": "did:zkid:issuer123",
  "credentialSubject": {
    "id": "did:zkid:user987",
    "role": "DAO-Supporter"
  },
  "issuanceDate": "2025-01-12T08:00:00Z",
  "proof": {
    "type": "EcdsaSecp256k1Signature",
    "created": "2025-01-12T08:01:00Z",
    "verificationMethod": "did:zkid:issuer123#key1",
    "proofPurpose": "assertionMethod",
    "jws": "eyJhbGciOi..."
  }
}

VCs support:

• cryptographic signing

• public verifiability

• selective disclosure

• off-chain storage

• zk-proof enhancements

Selective disclosure example

User proves membership without revealing identity:

VerifyMembership(VC, ZKProof) -> true

Zero-knowledge transforms the VC system from:

• “trust me” into

• “verify me privately”.

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3. ZK Identity Layer Components

The ZK Identity Layer includes:

✅ Zero-Knowledge Proofs

Used for:

• age verification

• membership validation

• proof-of-humanity

• KYC-proven claims

• off-chain data validation

• compliance without exposure

✅ Decentralized Storage (Arweave)

Used for:

• credential metadata

• DID documents

• encrypted files

• identity logs

• verification references

Long-term, immutable, and cross-referenced by Solana smart contracts.

✅ Validator Network

Validators ensure:

• DID synchronization

• credential reference integrity

• proof verification

• data consistency

• timely anchoring to Bitcoin

Validators stake $ZKID and follow slashing rules.

The ZK Identity Layer is built on a set of interoperable components designed to make identity portable, verifiable, and private.